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itching for something better than my B&K MC-101?

Posted by centaurus3200 (A) on March 9, 2011 at 22:30:52

hi all,

it's been quite a while since i've posted here.

i've largely been very happy with my system (see my profile for current rig). so much so that i haven't tweaked it for a while.

i still LOVE the MC-101. it's line stage is the most transparent i've ever had in my system. of course it's not a "giant slayer" but i don't have "giant cash" - but it has bested to my ears other preamps i've tried. such as MFA Magus C, precision fidelity C4, conrad johnson pv1 factory modded to pv2a specs, yamaha C-70, mcintosh mx110, mcintosh C11 and meridian 501.

i mainly bought it for the MC phono stage. the MM sounds great. in fact, the MC sounds great too - BUT it has ALWAYS had a pronounced hum with my spectral MCR MC cartridge. it's ultra low output (.2mV) - which exacerbates the problem. it was LOUD - not subtle. the issue is not due to teh cartridge or the turntable - as i've tried other MC capable preamps with no hum whatsoever.

it was so annoying that my friend bypassed the RCA jacks on back and wired in external jacks directly to the phono board with bus wire that cheesily stick out between the case and the top cover.

lame? sure. but the hum was greatly reduced. the issue is probably that all the source jacks are connected via a huge circuit board that spans along the back of the case. it's acting as an antennae or something. who knows why this is happening though and it would be a real pain to resolder every point on that board hoping it's a cold joint.

so the question is - have it REALLY FIXED - which probably means cutting off the part of that circuit board that connects all the jacks - and point to the point the phono jacks directly to the phono board. then see if something else in the phono circuit isn't well grounded.

or screw moving coils and just buy a decent used shure V-15 variant (i'm using a ScottRT modded technics SL-1600MK2).

OR... cut my losses and try another fairly affordable used preamp with MC. like the classe 30 or 45? or a bryston 1b (the only one that had MC, i think?).

which parasound preamps were john curl design with MC phono? only the super expensive ones? do any use some variant of his vendetta or dennison phono preamp circuits?

i know older PS Audio preamps had MC - but i thought those were a step below the B&K PRO-10MC (same as my MC-101 but without the defeatable tone controls).

and the only semi-affordable MC capable audio research is the SP-4 - which i've heard doesn't sound all that great.

anyway - just curious. the MC-101 does some really cool stuff. i like that it can run passive with active or passive tone controls. PLUS, you can swap resistors and capacitors in the phono circuit to your heart's connect. really trick!

and it's DEAD QUIET on the linestage. like NOTHING even when cranked up. i can't listen to tube preamps anymore after hearing this amazing ability.

i'm hoping i can borrow my friends vintage mark levinson JC-2 battery powered phono stage - i wanna hear how the MC-101's phono stage stacks up - to see if it warrants throwing some money at the hum problem.

thanks.
Robby

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